The Hanamo (Holt, Atchison, Nodaway, Andrew – Missouri) Telephone Company opened April 26, 1897 and was organized by H.E. Ralston
The Hanamo Telephone Company.
Nodaway Democrat, June 15, 1899, Page 2. via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/nodaway-democrat-hanamo-telephone-founde/160604712/
Among the institutions of Nodaway County, the Hanamo Telephone Plant is worthy of mention. In the fall of 1896, H. E. Ralston began agitating the question of forming a telephone company, but owing to the political campaign, it was dropped until after the election.
On April 26, 1897, he succeeded in forming an organization with the following men elected as officers: Capt. Chas. Hyslop, president; H. E. Ralston, secretary; and | J.C. Donnell, treasurer. On the 10th of March, the Hanamo office was opened. and has never since been closed either day or night.
Remarkable Growth.
The company started with an exchange of forty phones, which now numbers two hundred and fourteen telephones. At the time the company was organized, but three towns in the county were connected with the county seat, and now but three are not connected with Maryville: they are Bedison, Wilcox, and Dawson, and arrangements will soon be completed for their connection. The company has offices in twenty towns, and has connections with seventy-eight towns on other lines. It has built 185 miles of wire and is now building a connection from Maitland to St. Joseph and building north into Iowa.
A thorough line will be built from Maryville to St. Joseph during the summer. The Hanomo is also operating the lines of the Conway Co. in Iowa and the Savannah in Missouri, and these lines are known as the Hanomo System. Recent Extensions, The two best offices of the Hanamo plant outside of Maryville are at Hopkins and Maitland.
During the early part of the winter, the people of Hopkins built an exchange of tifty phones and made connections with the Hanamo. Harry Todd is now putting up an exchange in Burlington Junction with about 30 phones, and it will also be connected to the Hanamo toll lines. One thing of interest is that no dollar’s worth of stock is owned by anyone outside Nodaway County. This enterprise regularly employs six people, and during busy times, fifteen are employed. The company’s payroll is over $300 per month.
The name of the company has some significance, the letter h. a. n. and a stand for Holt, Atchison, Nodaway, and Andrew counties, in each of which the general manager is H. E. Ralston. Hoped to operate, the last syllable, “mo,” is for Missouri.
The manager and officers of the Hanamo plant feel very encouraged by the success that has crowned their past efforts and are contemplating many plans for the future. The success of the enterprise has been due, to a great extent, to the skillful management and good business ability of the general manager, H. E. Ralston, who devotes almost all of his time and energy to furthering the interests of the company.